Cap feeding machine



Jan. 6, 1948. M. s. ,RESINA 2,434,053

CAP FLEEDING MACHINE Filed Ilarch 12, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet l m, W www m04. AIM

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CAP FEEDING MACHINE Filed March l2, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 MHA/U54 /QEs/Ma INVENIOR.

Jan. 6, 1948. M. s. RESINA CAP FEE'DING MACHINE Filed March 12, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INKENTOR.

Jan. 6, 1948. M. s. RESINA 2,434,053

\ l CAP FEEDING MACHINE y Filed March 12, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 22 vBY aac/J ,l [214 Zoo :202

M. s. RESINA CAP FEEDING MACHINE y f 5' sheets-sheet 5 VV V vPatented Jan. 6, 1948.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,434,053 v CAP FEEDmG MACHINE Manuel S. Resina, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application March 12, 1945, Serial No. 582,233

3 Claims. (Cl. 226-88) The present invention relates to improvements in bottle capping machines and relates more particularly to improvements in machines for automaticaily applying screw caps or the like to bottles and jars.

The main object in my invention is to provide an improved machine forapplying screw caps to bottles or jars in an eiiicient manner. It includes an improved means for feeding caps to the cap applying means.

' Another object of my invention is to provide a means for automatically lapplying screw caps to bottles or jars in which the cap feeding means are automatically rrendered inoperative when there is no bottle present in the cap receiving position.

Still another object in my invention is to provide improved cap chute means in a bottle capping machine.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof, it being understood that the above statements of the objects of my invention are intended generally to explain the same without limiting it in any manner.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my improved machine.

Figure 1A is a side detail elevational view of the cap receiving head of the cap'feeding arm,

Figure 2 is a right side elevational view.

Figure 3 is a left side elevational view.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along line 5-5 of Figurel.

Figure 6 is a left side elevational view in detail of the cap feeding arm and the chute tilting arm.

Figure 7 is a sectional view along line' of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a top plan fragmental view of the chuck bearing and engaging fork.

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view of the control mechanism of the cap feeding arm.

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the lower end of the cap chute.

Figure l1 is a front elevational view of the lower end of the cap chute showing a cap held by the cap holding jaws.

Figure 12 is a sectional view along the line |2 of Figure 10.

Figure 13 is a front detail elevational view of the cap applying chuck.

On the drawing, a vertical bushing member |0| rotatiogally engages the shaft 90 above the body member 9|, and has the ball member 9|a positioned between body member 9| and bushing |0|, said bushing member having a pair of parallel horizontal grooves |0|a formed therein. Depending from the rear of the plate 82 is a bifurcated pin retaining member |03, said member |03 retaining pin |04 between its lower ends, said pin pivotally engaging the rear end of the chuck oscillating arm |05. The forward end of the arm |05 is forked and said fork |08 has a pair of parallel bar 'members |08a pivotally mounted atlthe ends of said fork members, said bar members engaging the bushing grooves |0|a. Horizontally projecting to the left of the arm |05 is the roller 09, said roller engaging the upper cam surface ||0, of the cam said cam being rotationally rigid with the shaft Il. The upper cam surface of said cam has a pair of raised surfaces |0a,

and a pair of depressed surfaces I2 and H3, the depressed surface ||3 being lower than the depressed surface 2, said depressed surface ||2 being in contact with the roller |09, when the chuck is in the cap receiving position, the cam surface ||3 being in contact with the roller |09, when the chuck is in the cap applying position. Tension spring ||4 connected to a pin H5, which pin is positioned at the lower end of the depending rod I6, has its other end connected to the arm |05, by means of a screw said spring impelling the free end of the arm |05, and the dependent chuck C, to its lowermost position against the action of the cam on the roller |09. Projecting forwardly and to the right of the arm |05 is the projection I9, said projection having at its outer end a depending adjustable set screw |20, the function of which will be hereinafter described.

The cap feeding mechanism, whose function is to transfer 'a cap from the cap chute to a position where the cap may be engaged by the cap applying chuck, comprises a horizontally -reciproeating arm 200, said arm swingably mounted by means of pin 20| to the horizontal plate 202, said plate being secured to the lower ends of the depending arms 203 of the top plate 82. Projecting above thefront end of the cap feeding arm 200 is the cap engaging head 204, said cap engaging head being of such size and shape as to ,comfortably engager the inside of a cap andk said head having the transverse groove 205 formed therein, said groove being normal to the length of the arm 200. A vertical roller 206 positioned onthe top face of the arm 200 anterior to the pin 20| engages the peripheral face of the cam 201, said cam being rotationally rigid with the shaft A tension spring 203 having one of its ends fixed, has its other end secured to pin 209 positioned on arm 200 and impels said arm in a clockwise directlon.

Formed in the top face of the arm 200 intermediate the ends thereof is the longitudinal depression 2|0, said depression being covered by the adjustable plate 2| I. The plate 2|| has the end transverse slot 2|2 and the intermediate transverse slot 2|3 formed therein and also has the depending ange 2|4 positioned on lateral extension 2|5 of the plate 2| The slot 2|3 is positioned over the depression 2|0 and is'adjustable relative thereto by means of the adjustment screw 2|6 engaging the vertical flange 2|4, said screw being xed by the nut 2 l and the position of the plate 2|| being xed by screw 2|8 passing through slot 2|2 and engaging a threaded bore in the arm 200.

Positioned on the plate 220 by means of bolts 22| is the bracket member 222, said bracket member having the horizontal ledge 223, the bottom face of said ledge being just about the level of the top face of the plate 2||. A vertical cylindrical aperture 224 terminating in the lower coaxial reduced aperture 225 has the horizontal flange 226 formed at its lower end and has a cover plate 221 covering said aperture 224, said cover plate having a vertical bore 228 formed therein of the same diameter as and coaxial with the aperture 225. Slidably engaged by the aperture 225 and the bore 228 is the plunger 229, said plunger 229 being maintained in its topmost position by means of the compression spring positioned between the top face of the horizontal flange 226 and the bottom face of washer 232, said washer being xed to the plunger 229. When the plunger 229 is in its topmost position, the bottom of said plunger is above the level of the top face of plate 2|! and said plunger is so positioned as to be adapted to pass through the aperture 2|3 formed in plate 2| The aforedescribed adjustable screw |20 is so positioned as to press down on the top face of the plunger 229 when the arm |05 is at its lowermost position. An adjustable stop member 200a is positioned on plate 220 and limits the clockwise motion of the cap feeding arm 200.

A vertically rotatable chute tilting lever 240 is swingably secured to the side face of the horizontal ledge 223 of the bracket member 222 by means of the pin 24|, said lever 240 having a vertical roller 243 positioned at its front end, said roller being rotatable about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lever 240 and being slidably in contact with the bottom face 244 of the tiltable chute. Positioned on the rear of the lever 240 is the vertical roller 242, said roller engaging the bottom cam surface 246 of the cam l.

The chute for leading the properly positioned caps from the hopper mechanism to the cap transferring arm consists of a stationary chute portion, said stationary chute being at a small angle to the vertical and the tiltable chute 30| hingedly connected to the bottom of the stationary chute. The stationary chute comprises a track member 302 which leads forwardly and downwardly towards the left from the hopper and thence continues downwardly to the left, said stationary chute being channel shaped, the open side facing upwardly. Positioned along the top face of the track side member 306 are the vertical projections 305, said vertical projections 305 having the lateral extensions 301, said lateral extensions being parallel to the base of the track member and normal to the side walls thereof, and

said extensionsengaging the pair of guide members 308, which guide members are parallel to the base 1of the track member and whose purpose is to keep the caps in proper position. Bracket'309 extending from the plate 82 forms an .intermediate support for the chute 300, the end portion of said bracket being secured to the bottom face `of the chute. The lower ends `oi? the side members of the stationary chute 300 extend beyond the base member thereof and are hingedly connected by means ci pins 3|2 to the side lateral extensions 3|3 of the lower tiltable chute 30|, the base of the chute 30| extending to the base of the chute 300, thus forming a continuous track. The chute 30| is of the same general construction as the chute 300, comprising the channel shaped track 302m, vertical side projections 30511, extensions 30la, said extensions engaging the guides 30811'. The bottom of the chute 30| curves towards the horizontal and has the finger extension 320d secured to the bottom of the base of said chute and projecting forwardly therefrom. Hingedly secured to the lower ends of the sides of the track 302a by means of pins 32| are the jaws 320, said jaws 320-having the pegs 322 vertical extending above the front ends thereof, the tops fof said pegs 322 engaging the ends of the tension spring 323, which spring maintains thc jaws 320 in normally closed position. The purpose of theV jaws 320 is to prevent the caps from sliding from the chute due to their accumulated weight unless the additional force of the cap transferring arm is applied thereto and the puropse of the iinger 320d is to prevent any caps from falling through the space surrounded by the lower edges of the chute base and jaws. A tension spring 330 having one of its ends secured to projection 333 of the chute 30| and its other end secured to the horizontal projection 334 of the stationary arm ||6 maintains the chute in its lowermost position.

The operation of my machine is as follows:

The hopper mechanism feeds properly positioned caps into the entrance to the chute 300, which caps travel to the bottom of chute 30|, the lowest one being held between the jaws 320 and above the `linger 320d. The arm 200 is caused to oscillate by 'the cam 201 between a position where the head 204 is directly below and in line with the cap applying chuck, which position may be adjusted by the member 200a and a point to the right of the outlet of chute 30|. The chute tilting arm` 240 is caused to oscillate by the bottom face 246 of the cam III, the cams 201 and being so positioned and shaped that when the arm 200 moves toward the right, arm 240 elevatesl the bottom of chute 30| and allows the head 204 to freely pass thereunder. When the arm 200 moves towards the left, the outlet end `of chute 30| is allowed to fall to its lowermost position, the head 204 upon its travel to the left engaging a cap, carrying the cap from between the jaws 320 to a point directly below the cap applying chuck.

The cap applying chuck C is caused to periodically move up and down by the cam through the arm |05, the vertical movement of said chuck during a single revolution of the cam Ill, being from its topmost position down to the cap receiving position up to its topmost position, down `to the cap applying position and thence back to its topmost position. When the arm 200 is in its most clockwise position, the chuck C comes down and engages a cap held on the head, 204, the balls 98 resiliently gripping the same and lifting it from the head 204, which head 204 and arm 200 the shaft clutch mechanism would slip thus preventing breakage. After the cap has been applied, the Chuck returns to the upper position and is ready to begin another cycle. i'

The cams I I I and 201 are so positioned relative to one another that when the chuck is in cap ap plying position, the arm 200 is in its most counterclockwise position and the slot v2li! is directly below the plunger 228. If there is no bottle present in the cap receiving position, arm |05 will travel to a lower position than otherwise and screw will depress the plunger 228 causing the bottom thereof to pass through the slot 2 I3 and will hold the same in such position until the arm 200 is allowed to move clockwise by the cam 201, the side wall of the slot 2 I3 thereby engaging the sidewall of the plunger holding the same in depressed position and rendering the cap feeding arm 200 inoperative. Upon a complete rotation of the cam 201, the arm 200 will be moved counter-clockwise thus releasing the plunger 228 and if there is no bottle present in the cap receiving position, the above described operation will again be repeated. On the other hand if there is a bottle held by the clamp 54, the arm 200 will be returned to its normal operating cycle.

I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention but it is obvious thatnumerous omissions and alterations may be made without departing from its spirit.

The present application is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 404,160 filed July 26, 1941, now Patent No. 2,371,650, dated March 20, 1945, for Container capping machine or the like.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described means for transferring a cap from a cap chute to a cap applying chuck, said means comprising a rotatably mounted arm having a cap engaging head positioned on the free end of said arm, means for resiliently impelling said arm so that the cap engaging head is in the path of the cap applying chuck, means for reciprocating said arm beyond cap receiving position, and thence to cap receiving position, means for rendering said arm dormant beyond the cap receiving position when there lis no container present in cap receiving position. Y

2. In a machine of the character described, a rotating cap applying chuck, means for reciproeating said chuck in' a vertical direction, a cap chute, means for conveying a cap from said cap chute to the cap applying chuck, said means com- I* prising a pivoted arm having a cap engaging head at its free end, means for reciprocating the free end of said arm between the vertical p ath of the cap applying chuck to a point beyond the outlet y mounted on said shaft.

MANUEL S. RESINA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,835,335 Risser Dec. 8, 1931 1,726,054 Burns Aug. 27, 1929 

